Marlet ensures Fulham survive Greek jitters
Egaleo 1 Fulham 1 Fulham win 2-1 on aggregate
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Your support makes all the difference.Fulham can spy a Uefa Cup place on the horizon after securing an Intertoto Cup aggregate win over Egaleo on Saturday with an uncomfortable draw in Greece. Jean Tigana's side must overcome his French compatriots, Sochaux – who won 2-0 in a friendly between the sides in November – in the semi-final.
The striker Steve Marlet, who struggled for so much of last season, proved the hero, firing home a first-half equaliser to settle his side's nerves after the Greeks had appeared in control.
Fulham, leading 1-0 from last week's first leg at Craven Cottage, had found themselves a goal behind on the night when Yiannis Chloros scored from close range on 24 minutes. It was no more than the energetic hosts deserved.
Stung and roused, Fulham and Marlet soon silenced the crowd. Steed Malbranque began the move, feeding Luis Boa Morte down the left, whose low cross Marlet finished 10 minutes before the break.
Still edgy, Tigana's team survived another scare late in the half when the Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar was forced into a double save to protect his side's aggregate lead. Then, three minutes into the second half slack defending let in Daniel Edusei, who shot wide.
As Egaleo tired Boa Morte profited from his extra space to force a good save out of Nenad Bikic on 55 minutes. The Portuguese forward ran 30 yards before unleashing a powerful shot. Bikic then produced an impressive double stop from Boa Morte and Malbranque. Edusei could have saved the tie for Egaleo with 25 minutes left, but after beating three players he blasted the ball over the bar.
Goals: Chloros (24) 1-0; Marlet (34) 1-1.
Egaleo: Bikic, Komstandinos Papoutsis, Alexopoulos, Meidanis, Nikolopoulos, Edusei, Christou, Skopeletis, Wanga, Fotakis, Chloros. Substitutes: Sidibe, Psomas, Agritis, Simeonidis, Chatsis, Jean Pierre Antonetti, Stefanov.
Fulham: Van der Sar, Ouaddou, Harley, Melville, Goma, Legwinski, Marlet, Malbranque, Saha, Davis, Boa Morte. Substitutes: Herrera, Collins, Sava, Hayles, Knight, Goldbaek, Stolcers.
Referee: Ruud Bossen (Netherlands).
Man of the match: Marlet.
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